Frameless counter or the like



May 8, 19m 1,669,195

l l E. H. vGIBIAN FRAuELEss COUNTER on TBELIXE Filed llarh 24. `192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet) A Ml i M Mh A ll "lh May 8, 1928.

E. H. GIBIAN I FRAMEHESS COUNTER OR THE LIKE Filed March 24. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 man@ MayS, 1928.

- E. H. GIBIAN FRAMELESS COUNTER 0R THE LIKE Filed March 24, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N il W; H l www@ A m ll/lllll/{lllllll @MPH/mw."

Patented May 8, 1928. i

oNiTEo STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ERIC TI. GIBIAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To Ti-IE vITiioLITE ooMIANY, yor PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION or wE-sTvIRGiNIA.

Y FRAMELESS COUNTER` on. Tini LIKE.

Appiieation inea March 24, 1927. seriai No. 177,851.

The present invention relates to counters, soda fountains, or similar structures that are or mayy be made of slabs of glass-like .vitreous facing and a'strong, comparatively lirfht and serviceable backing adapted to be astened to the backing of another slab in building up a structure.

A further object'of the present `invention is to make a counter, soda fountain, or similar structure from pre-formed slabs that need only be secured together by simple fastening devices at the places where they are to be used. l j

'A further objeetjof the present invention vis to construct 4a counter, soda fountain, or

similar structure of preformed slab elements` so shaped that structures of various lengths may be obtainedbyf simply adding or subtracting slab sections.` y l TheV various features of novelty whereby inyinvention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with' particularity'in' the claims; but, for a fully understanding of my invention and of :its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the follow-y ing detailed description 7'taken in connection -with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective viewof a counter arranged' in accordance with the present invention, showing the rear of the counter;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal `sectiomon anv enlarged scale, through acorner of the counter; Fig. 3 is a` vertical sectionV ena plane extending from Afront to rear; Fig. l.iris a view similar to Fig. 1, illustratingthe front of the coun-` ter; F ig. 5 is a verticalsection through a top side corner ofthe counter on av plane at right angles to the plane of F ig. 3; Fig. 6 is 'a vertical fs'ectionon a plane extending from vfront to rear,through thel lower por-4 tion of a. counter, illustrating a modified base 1; and Fig. 7 is! a sectionj-on an enlarged 4 scalethrough a fragment of `the front wall.

of the structurel In carrying out my invention, I 'make use of lmetal-sheathed7 lumber, preferably plywood faced with thin sheet metal glued thereto; the vitreousfslabs being cemented to this inaterial'which serves as a backin and a reinforcement therefor. This insta o sheathed lumber, is strong, comparatively light, and sufficient-ly flexible, to avoid the setting up of objectionable stresses in the vitreous material in the process of manufacturing the compound slabs or under service conditions. The elements forming a compound slab are so shaped landlocated with respect to each other that novopen joints are left in the vitreous' facing yof an individual slab or anywallcomposed of'sev- 4eral slabs placed ,end to end.

In" the particular arrangement shown'in lFigsl to 5 of the drawings, the front ofthe Counter @Side THI vthe step,.is` formedof two slabs or sections, while each end consists of asingle section. The top may be orany suitable construction, conveniently a "singlethiclr slabwof vitreous material, or

a plurality of such slabs placededge to edge. Referring to the drawings, what may be regarded as the left hand front sectionconsists of a panel l of metalsheathed lumber comprising preferably a core 2 made out of many piles of wovod,;`say-sixor seven, and facings ,3 ofthin sheet metal cemented to the wood. To the front side of the member-1, at about the middlethereof, is cementeda thin slab t "of vitreous rmaterial.y ABeyond the edges ofthe member tare pieces ofluinber 5, 6, 7 and 8ceniented to thefront face of the member l and`- having approximately Ithe sainev thickness as.. the vitreous'ineinber 4. Thevei'ticalpieces, 5 and 6, projectbeyfond` the side'edges offthe backing member` l. TheV edges ofthe vitreous panel 4 are concealedbeneath thin narrow slabs 0f' vitreous materialQ, l0, l1 `and 12 lcemented tothe ypieces oflumber `r`5," 6, 7 fand'S, respectively. `The vitreous elements Q9 and 10 are considerably wider than the underlying piecesy ofk lumber` 5f and 6,A so that they project `be.-

jyoiidl the sides vkof ythe,l latter, onk the' inner sides overlapping the'central vitreous panel 4; while'fo'n theouter sides they form with the n fieinbersfzfil and @and the backing member ay steppedfforniation iiitof'whichniaybe fitted vthe stepped'edge of ari/adjacent slab.

` The adjacent end wall of thecounter con-k i siste of ay backing `member similar to the member 1, a central facing panel. 14 corre-- spending to the panel 4, lumber spacing strips 15, 16, 17 and 18 corresponding to the pieces 5, 6, 7 and 8 and narrow panels or iinishing strips 19, 20, 21 and 22 overlying the strips of lumber and overlapping the man ginal portions of the panel 14.

Since the metal sheathing on the member 1,3 extends over only the broad faces, a thin sheet of metal 24 is secured over the rear raw edge of this member, and a similar' metal sheathing or cap is placed over the rear exposed edge of the piece of lumber 15. Consequently the rear edge of the end wall of the counter, which is exposed, consists either of vitreous material orV metal, there being no wood exposed.

In assembling the end wu ll and the adjacent front section, they are simply set one against the other, the step-like edge formations permitting the two walls to engage each other with the narrow vitreous panel 9 onV the front section engaging with the edge of the corresponding panel 19 on the end section, and the front edge of the backing panel 13 engaging with the rear face of the panel 1. In the angle between the twowall sections are placed angle brackets 26 that are bolted or screwed to the backing members 1 and 13, this being the onl v operation that needV be performed in the assembly of the counter to fasten one end wall and the front wall together.

It will be seen that the two ends of the front wall section are similar, so that if a.

short counter is to be made, a second end wall is simply secured to the right hand end ot the front wall section. lf a` longer counter is required, a plurality of front wall sections are fastened together end to end. In the arrangement shown, the front wall consists At the juncture of the two sections is an intermediate-wall parallel with the end wall. This intermediate wall may be made of two panels 27 and 28 of material similar to the panels 1 and13; the panel 28 abutting. at its front end against the rearface of the panel 1 and having its outer broad face flush with the side edge of this panel. Suitable angle brackets 29 fasten the members 28 and 1 together. rIhe` member 27 lies beside and, in contact with the member 28 but abuts against the rear face lof the backing member 30 of the second front section. The members 27 and28 may be fastened together by means of a few small bolts 31 passing through the same. I

If the counteris to beprovided with a step in front, the main front wall will be made shallower than the end walls, ythe base panels 22 of the end walls being extended forward far enough to produce the step, and

the intermediate partition having portions 32 ext-ending underneath the main front wall to form an intermediate support for the tread portion 33 of the step or, rather, the metal sheathed supporting panel 34 for the tread. rlhe riser of the step is formed of a slab or a plurality of slabs, consisting of a backing 35 of metal sheathed lumber and a thin panel 36 of vitreous material cemented to the backing. The members 34 and 35 are fastened to the parts 32 and the corresponding elements on the backing members for the end walls by means of angle brackets 37.

Shelves may be provided underneath the counter by securing to the end walls and to the intermediate partition wall angle irons 38; the shelves proper, as indicated at 39, resting on and being bolted to these angle irons.

Each `end wall is preferably made in two sections, a .main section and a small auxiliary section at the end of the step. ln the event that no step is desired, the auxiliary sections of the end walls are left ofi and the corresponding parts of the intermediate wall are cut off so that the wall stops at the front wall as indicated in the second portion in Fig. 2. Instead of the tread and riser, a base friese is applied as shown in Fig. 6. In the arrangement shown in this ligure, a base section, comprising a backing made up of panels 40 and 41 overlying each other, and a vitreous facing 42 is set directly underneath the main front wall so that the lower part of the front side of the counter, instead of being a step, is simply a frieze of the same height as the base panels on theends. Of course, if desired, the main front wall may be made deep enough, initially, to extend down to the Hoor when a counter or the like without a base is desired. y

The top 45 of the counter, as shown, consists simply of two ,large slabs of Vtrolite laid upon the top of the verticalwalls; being fastened to the latter by means of angle brackets 46 fastened to the backing members of the vertical walls by screws or the like. andto the vitreous top by screws or studs 47 entered into suitable anchoring sockets 48 laid into the underside of the top.

While have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural. details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. A counter or the like having a vertical wall formed of metal-sheathed lumber faced withrelatively thin slab-like vitreous material cemented thereto.

2. A counter. or the like having a vertical to, and means fastened to the rear faces of the lumber to secure said sections together.

3. A wall section for a counter or the like comprising a. back panel of metalsheathed lumber, a facing panelfof vitreous material cemented to thecentral portion of the back panel, filling pieces cemented to the back panel around said facing panel, and strips or narrow panels of vitreous material overlapping and cemented to said filling pieces and overlapping the central facing panel at all sides.

4. A wall section for a counter or the like comprising a back panel of metal-sheathed lumber, a facing'panel of vitreous material cemented to the front of the back panel, filling pieces surrounding the said facing panel and projecting beyond the edges of the back panel, and narrow panels or strips of vit reous material cemented to ksaid filling pieces and overlapping said central facing panel and projecting beyond the outer edges of the filling pieces at the sides of said section, whereby said section has side edges of step formation.

5. A frameless counter or the like consisting of end walls and a front wall each comprising metal-sheathed backs faced on the outer side with slab-like vitreous material cemented thereto, fastenings between the said backs securing the walls together, and a top resting on said walls.

6. In a counter or the like, a front wall and an endk wall engaged with `each other at their edges and lying at an angle to each other, each wall comprising a metal-sheathed backing and slab-like vitreous materiall cemented to the outer face of the backing, and angle brackets inv the angles between said walls and secured to the backing members to fasten said walls together.

7. A counter or the like having a vertical wall comprising a backing composed of many layers of wood interposed' between metal sheets all cement-ed together, and a relatively thin slab of vitreous material cemented to one of the metal sheets.

8. A frameless counter or the like consisting of a front wall and endand intermediate walls arranged at right angles to said 'front wall, said front and end walls each comprising metal-sheathed lumber faced on the outer side with slab-like vitreous material cemented thereto, fastening devices arranged in the angles between said front wall and the other walls and secured to the lumber backing, and a top resting on said walls.

9. A frameless counter or the like consisting of a front wall and end and intermediate walls arranged at right angles thereto, said front Wall and said end walls comprising 'metalsheathed lumber faceson the outer side with slab-like vitreous material cemented thereto, brackets arranged Vin the angles between said walls, and means for fastening said brackets Y to the metalsheathed lumber of the front and end walls, and a top resting on said walls.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

ERIC H. GIBIAN. 

